Connection

The Reach Up Tour youth rally will be March 29

By Ann Greenleaf Wirtz

Published: Saturday, March 21, 2009 at 4:30 a.m.

Last Modified: Tuesday, March 31, 2009 at 2:53 p.m.

At a recent planning meeting for the Reach Up Tour youth rally scheduled for March 29 at East Henderson High School, Michael Absher, senior at East, shared a troubling reality about students in the Hendersonville community, "There's a lot of negativity in our high schools now; a number of students have died (from accidents, suicide and military service in Afghanistan)," Absher said.

"Students are feeling a sense of desperation," added Tyler Lynch, member of the band DNT (Divine Noble Truth) from Living Water Baptist Church.

The Reach Up Tour Rally will provide an outlet for these emotions as it addresses the complex issues facing young people today. This inspirational evening of music and message will focus on the ultimate answer in life, Jesus Christ. The event is sponsored by the Student Evangelism and Ministry Department of the Baptist State Convention (BSC) of North Carolina and will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. Sunday, March 29. All area students and church youth groups are invited.

The underlying Biblical truth for the Reach Up Tour comes from Acts 17:27, "God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us."

The featured speaker for the rally will be Stuart Hall, a student communicator known for his unique blend of humor and powerful application. Hall centers his positive, life-transforming message on what it means to have a personal relationship with Christ. His presentation has been honed from more than 14 years of youth involvement that has included a weekly speaking commitment on discipleship to hundreds of high school students in the Atlanta area.

Over the years, Hall has worked with the Fellowship of Christian Athletes and with youth ministries in three highly successful churches. He is the founder and director of Dash Student Leadership Inc., a nonprofit organization dedicated to developing America's teens into strong spiritual leaders who are able to influence their culture for Christ.

Every aspect of the rally, from the music to Hall's presentation, will reflect the Reach Up Tour's overall goals, reflected in the name given to its ministry, BeDoTell (BDT): Be come a Christian; Do Discipleship; Tell Others About Jesus.

The three-fold purpose of this ministry is to connect young people to Christ, to connect those students to a home church where they can grow in their faith with materials made available for interested youth ministries, and to teach students how to tell others about their own personal transformation through faith in Christ.

Jared Morgan is a member of the local planning committee for the tour. A senior from East, he's part of a team comprised of youth leaders and students from a variety of community churches and schools.

"We're excited to host this rally," Morgan said. "A lot of kids who go to school with us are searching for answers, and they're curious to see what this whole Jesus thing is about. Having the rally at a neutral site, like East, provides a less threatening environment."

"One goal of the Reach Up Tour is to teach us how to share Jesus more effectively with our friends," said Kara Thompson, a sophomore at East. "In difficult times, as people see us grow stronger in our faith, those who are suffering come to us for help."

The tour travels throughout the state, accomplishing its teaching mission through a three-part format. In Western North Carolina, students have already met twice at CrossWalk, the First Baptist Church youth center in downtown Hendersonville. They have learned "How to Pray Your Friends to Christ" and how to "Share Jesus without Fear." The band DNT led the praise and worship at each session.

The third and culminating tour activity is the Reach Up Rally, an event designed for a broad spectrum of youth, especially for those seeking answers. The BeDoTell praise band and the BDT drama team will lead the music and perform relevant, thought-provoking skits. The BeDoTell groups originate from Camp Caswell on Oak Island, where the North Carolina Baptist Assembly holds summer camps, religious retreats and conferences.

"As a community, we worry about the usual problems: drugs, alcohol, activities that can get young people into trouble," said David Robinson, volunteer youth leader at Naples Baptist Church and head of the local publicity for the Reach Up Tour. "There's an interesting word I've heard recently to describe this age group, 'screenagers.' It seems everything teens do today involves a screen, which of course can be beneficial, but there's a lot of danger, too. Choices can be affected through a rally like this, choices kids make on a daily basis which can bring them and others either harm or good."

"We're encouraging everyone to bring a friend," said Jason Kittrell, the middle school youth minister at First Baptist Church, "If 100 students each bring a friend to the rally, we've now doubled that group to 200. This is exponential growth and a clear opportunity to reach kids who are searching."

"With all the negativity in the world and in our schools, it's important to have a positive event like this," said Nick Ficker, student at Blue Ridge Community College and assistant to Scott Shives, executive director of Western North Carolina Youth for Christ.

"The Reach Up Tour is a way to impact young people today, so they can lead the world tomorrow," said Shives.

<p>At a recent planning meeting for the Reach Up Tour youth rally scheduled for March 29 at East Henderson High School, Michael Absher, senior at East, shared a troubling reality about students in the Hendersonville community, "There's a lot of negativity in our high schools now; a number of students have died (from accidents, suicide and military service in Afghanistan)," Absher said.</p><p>"Students are feeling a sense of desperation," added Tyler Lynch, member of the band DNT (Divine Noble Truth) from Living Water Baptist Church.</p><p>The Reach Up Tour Rally will provide an outlet for these emotions as it addresses the complex issues facing young people today. This inspirational evening of music and message will focus on the ultimate answer in life, Jesus Christ. The event is sponsored by the Student Evangelism and Ministry Department of the Baptist State Convention (BSC) of North Carolina and will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. Sunday, March 29. All area students and church youth groups are invited.</p><p>The underlying Biblical truth for the Reach Up Tour comes from Acts 17:27, "God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us."</p><p>The featured speaker for the rally will be Stuart Hall, a student communicator known for his unique blend of humor and powerful application. Hall centers his positive, life-transforming message on what it means to have a personal relationship with Christ. His presentation has been honed from more than 14 years of youth involvement that has included a weekly speaking commitment on discipleship to hundreds of high school students in the Atlanta area.</p><p>Over the years, Hall has worked with the Fellowship of Christian Athletes and with youth ministries in three highly successful churches. He is the founder and director of Dash Student Leadership Inc., a nonprofit organization dedicated to developing America's teens into strong spiritual leaders who are able to influence their culture for Christ.</p><p>Every aspect of the rally, from the music to Hall's presentation, will reflect the Reach Up Tour's overall goals, reflected in the name given to its ministry, BeDoTell (BDT): Be come a Christian; Do Discipleship; Tell Others About Jesus.</p><p>The three-fold purpose of this ministry is to connect young people to Christ, to connect those students to a home church where they can grow in their faith with materials made available for interested youth ministries, and to teach students how to tell others about their own personal transformation through faith in Christ.</p><p>Jared Morgan is a member of the local planning committee for the tour. A senior from East, he's part of a team comprised of youth leaders and students from a variety of community churches and schools.</p><p>"We're excited to host this rally," Morgan said. "A lot of kids who go to school with us are searching for answers, and they're curious to see what this whole Jesus thing is about. Having the rally at a neutral site, like East, provides a less threatening environment."</p><p>"One goal of the Reach Up Tour is to teach us how to share Jesus more effectively with our friends," said Kara Thompson, a sophomore at East. "In difficult times, as people see us grow stronger in our faith, those who are suffering come to us for help."</p><p>The tour travels throughout the state, accomplishing its teaching mission through a three-part format. In Western North Carolina, students have already met twice at CrossWalk, the First Baptist Church youth center in downtown Hendersonville. They have learned "How to Pray Your Friends to Christ" and how to "Share Jesus without Fear." The band DNT led the praise and worship at each session.</p><p>The third and culminating tour activity is the Reach Up Rally, an event designed for a broad spectrum of youth, especially for those seeking answers. The BeDoTell praise band and the BDT drama team will lead the music and perform relevant, thought-provoking skits. The BeDoTell groups originate from Camp Caswell on Oak Island, where the North Carolina Baptist Assembly holds summer camps, religious retreats and conferences.</p><p>"As a community, we worry about the usual problems: drugs, alcohol, activities that can get young people into trouble," said David Robinson, volunteer youth leader at Naples Baptist Church and head of the local publicity for the Reach Up Tour. "There's an interesting word I've heard recently to describe this age group, 'screenagers.' It seems everything teens do today involves a screen, which of course can be beneficial, but there's a lot of danger, too. Choices can be affected through a rally like this, choices kids make on a daily basis which can bring them and others either harm or good."</p><p>"We're encouraging everyone to bring a friend," said Jason Kittrell, the middle school youth minister at First Baptist Church, "If 100 students each bring a friend to the rally, we've now doubled that group to 200. This is exponential growth and a clear opportunity to reach kids who are searching."</p><p>"With all the negativity in the world and in our schools, it's important to have a positive event like this," said Nick Ficker, student at Blue Ridge Community College and assistant to Scott Shives, executive director of Western North Carolina Youth for Christ.</p><p>"The Reach Up Tour is a way to impact young people today, so they can lead the world tomorrow," said Shives.</p>